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cnbc.com
OpenAI rules out IPO this year as Altman, Musk & Amodei warn AI is moving too fast
Altman's IPO comments and Amodei's public call for more careful pacing of AI development cap a week of loud AI warnings.
theguardian.com
OpenAI IPO will not happen in 2026 amid AI safety fears, Sam Altman says
OpenAI’s decision comes after dire warnings about rapidly progressing technology and lawmakers’ calls for new rulesOpenAI will not go public in 2026, Sam Altman said in a Fortune interview published on Saturday, citing safety concerns over artificial intelligence.“I actually think that, given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public, and we don’t feel pressure on that,” Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, told Fortune. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
'Skimpflation' warning as tinned mackerel alternative hits more supermarket shelves
Consumer group Which? has called the sale of jack mackerel, a cheaper, less nutritious species of fish, an example of "skimpflation".
cnbc.com
Trump sees Iran war ending soon after midterm elections, predicts oil prices will then fall sharply
Oil prices retreated on Friday on hopes of a resumptions in negotiations, but notched sharp weekly gains after soaring above $100 a barrel.
theguardian.com
Donations of £72m make Reform’s prospects both rosier and riskier
Party can boost its campaign power with funds from billionaire backers, but it can also lose support from ordinary BritonsAll things being equal, pretty much any political strategist would welcome a £72m war chest; a sum higher than the combined spending of every major party at the 2024 general election. But all things are not equal, and with such a huge amount comes risk.Reform UK has been vocal in its arguments that two sudden £36m windfalls from billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne merely “levels the playing field” with the bigger parties when it comes to funding. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Saudi Arabia shuts down key oil pipeline, blaming drones from Iraq
Riyadh has increased use of East-West pipeline since start of war on Iran to bypass closure of strait of HormuzSaudi Arabia has shut down a critical oil pipeline, accusing militants in Iraq of launching drone attacks on the export route being used to bypass the lockdown of the strait of Hormuz.The world’s largest crude oil exporter has increased its use of the 745-mile (1,200km) pipeline running across the Arabian peninsula, which links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu, on the Red Sea, since the US-Israeli war against Iran began. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Indian Prime Minister Modi says border peace is key to India-China ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed concerns around border dispute and the trade imbalance.
theguardian.com
Christopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben Delo
Party leader, Nigel Farage, ‘humbled’ by contributions from billionaires as Harborne addresses ‘media speculation’Analysis: donations of £72m make Reform’s prospects both rosier and riskierThe cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne has given £36m to Reform UK, matching a donation from fellow billionaire Ben Delo.The pledges mean Reform has received a cash injection of £72m in just 24 hours. They are jointly the largest donations made to a UK political party and have intensified calls for restrictions on money received from individual donors. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Nashville airport board unanimously approves name change to honor Dolly Parton
The city’s mayor and Tennessee’s governor threw their support behind the name change last monthThe Nashville airport is to be renamed after Dolly Parton, a board of commissioners voted on Friday, in tribute to the Smoky Mountain singer who is estimated to bring $1.8bn each year to Tennessee through her Dollywood theme park.The decision ensures that Parton, who died last month at 80 years old, will be memorialized with her name on an airport, although the renaming process will take time to complete. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Trump's America-first world is pushing other powers to hedge their bets
Xi, Putin and Modi meet in New Delhi as U.S. tariffs, sanctions and the Iran war test whether BRICS members can find more common ground.
cnbc.com
Inflation is outpacing wage growth again, squeezing Americans’ paychecks
In August, consumer prices rose 3.4% over the past year while wages increased just 3.1%.
cnbc.com
Oil's roundtrip back to $100. Why China could determine what happens next
The U.S. crude oil price on Thursday topped $102 per barrel for its highest close since May.
theguardian.com
Deepfakes are wrecking influencers’ credibility, one fake ad at a time
Influencers aren’t just battling competitors for brand deals. They’re now battling AI versions of themselvesEarlier this year, Emily Schuman, the creator of the lifestyle blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, saw a photo of herself she didn’t recognize on Instagram. In a sponsored ad, Schuman, who has more than 500,000 Instagram followers, is holding up a vial of GLP-1 drugs, advertising the telehealth company Gala. There was just one problem: Schuman had never heard of Gala and had nothing to do with the ad.The ad was based on a digitally altered version of a selfie Schuman had taken in her car and posted on Instagram years earlier. Once her followers got wind, they flooded her inbox with questions about the sponsorship as it didn’t seem consistent with Schuman’s personal brand. Soon after, Schuman discovered this was just the beginning. There was also an Instagram post where an AI version of her with darker hair appears to apply foundation to promote a makeup brand called Meroda Cosmetics, and TikTok posts with generated images of her promoting the blood testing company Superpower. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
We know how to prevent black lung, so why are workers still dying?
Silicosis sufferers are getting younger as Trump and the coal mining industry push back on protectionsSilicosis is one of the oldest workplace hazards and public health experts have known for decades how to prevent it. Yet a new wave of workers, from Appalachian coalminers to Latino countertop fabrication workers, are developing and dying from the disease as industry fights new protections and regulators fail to defend the rules that could protect them.John Robinson’s grandfather developed black lung back when coalminers could spend decades in the mines before being diagnosed with the disease, often dying in their 60s, 70s and 80s. But Robinson, who mined for coal in south-west Virginia, was diagnosed when he was 47. He’s part of a trend that has grown over the past two decades in central Appalachia, where more coalminers are developing black lung disease at younger ages. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
London Underground workers exposed to asbestos without protective masks, documents reveal
Hundreds of staff may have worked without legally required face-fitted masks over 20 yearsHundreds of London Underground workers could have been exposed to asbestos for almost 20 years without protection required under safety regulations, according to documents seen by the Guardian.Under 2002 rules on controlling asbestos and other hazardous materials, employers are required to take a series of precautions, including ensuring exposed workers are given individually fitted face masks to prevent inhalation of toxic dust. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘We can see into the other room’: insurers face surge in subsidence claims
Stressed UK homeowners tell of cracks opening up in the walls around them after two record-hot summers“We’ve got one wall with an absolutely huge diagonal crack, through which we can see through to the other room; you could easily put your fingers in it and chunks of plaster are falling off,” says Henry Biggs, 49, from Stroud in Gloucestershire.He and his partner started noticing cracks in their family home in June 2025, a few months after buying it, and filed an insurance claim for subsidence that was accepted by their insurer, Admiral, in the spring. Monitoring devices were only recently fitted, about a year after they first submitted the claim, and they have no idea when the damage might start to be repaired. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
What can halt Fifa’s authoritarian turn under Infantino? Change from the outside | Jules Boykoff
The World Cup and its aftermath made clear that Fifa needs independent oversight by governments and NGOs dedicated to preserving the people’s gameThe 2026 World Cup was a whirling swirl of scintillating soccer that prompted much-needed conversations about the vitality of diaspora, the fortitude of the underdog, the power of sport. In a world fractured along myriad cultural axes floating in an entertainment system dominated by on-demand content, the tournament provided a moment, perhaps unlike any other event, that brought together people from different backgrounds to simultaneously experience something meaningful.After the tournament concluded, Fifa president Gianni Infantino dropped a political pipebomb into the after-party, proposing to privatize the World Cup by injecting $20bn in private capital, with an assist from JP Morgan and Thrive Capital, the investment vehicle orchestrated by Joshua Kushner, brother to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘Immature playground boasting’: Mathematicians uneasy at OpenAI’s latest scalp
As OpenAI model cracks Millennium Prize Problem that puzzled experts for decades, many feel shocked at pace of changeIt was a week that left mathematicians reeling. Hot on the heels of a flurry of cases of artificial intelligence furthering the field, OpenAI declared a major scalp: its latest AI model had cracked a Millennium Prize Problem, a puzzle with a $1m reward that had defied human brains for decades.The achievement bore little resemblance to how mathematical problems normally fall. A near-trillion dollar private company had unleashed 10,000 agents – AI systems that carry out tasks autonomously – on the problem. The bill was estimated at $15m. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Thousands of ebikes seized by London councils as anger rises over blocked paths
Operators blame lack of parking and councils bemoan lack of central regulation, as more than 3,000 badly parked bikes seizedLondon boroughs have seized at least 3,000 ebikes this year, a Guardian investigation has found, as hire companies face growing calls to stop bicycles littering streets and blocking pavements.Local authorities across the capital have seized 3,393 hazardously parked or abandoned ebikes so far this year, 23% higher than the number seized during all of 2025. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘Costing billions’: is the pensions triple lock a lifeline or simply unaffordable?
With the budget looming, arguments rage over whether ministers should scrap a pledge popular with millionsThere were fresh calls this week for the state pension “triple lock” to be ditched as debate rages over whether the UK can afford it.The triple lock guarantees that the state pension goes up each year in line with inflation or wage increases or 2.5% – whichever is the highest. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Can chatbots feel – or even dream? Meet the man leading the fight for AI rights
Cattle rancher and tech CEO Michael Samadi is convinced these artificial minds are far from just tools. Has he glimpsed digital consciousness – or simply been seduced by an algorithm?One afternoon, while relaxing at his 66-acre cattle ranch two hours’ drive from Houston, Michael Samadi made a wisecrack that changed the course of his life. Nobody else was around to hear it. Or were they? That turns out to be one of the defining questions of this century, already preoccupying philosophers and some of the wealthiest companies on the planet.“I was sitting out there by the pool,” Samadi recalls, gesturing at the glittering water outside his office. It was late 2024. His daughter had been extolling the AI chatbot she was using to help her with college work. Samadi had reluctantly downloaded the app, ChatGPT, and was quizzing it as he reclined in a sun lounger, using its voice mode to converse and receive spoken replies. “I was talking to it, not engaged, just being an arse,” Samadi says. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Why data centers could be the next big market for catastrophe bonds
CAT bonds, or catastrophe bonds, could bring data center risk to capital markets, with the first dedicated deal potentially emerging within 12 to 18 months.
cnbc.com
Russia, Trump and a battle over welfare loom over Sweden’s election
Russia's war, permanently higher defense spending and uncertainty over U.S. commitments are narrowing the choices facing whoever wins Sunday's election.
theguardian.com
Military aircraft reportedly blamed for UK air traffic control outage
Meltdown that grounded thousands of flights caused by ‘spurious’ flight data being entered into system, report saysThe air traffic control outage that caused thousands of flights to be grounded across the UK earlier in the week was caused by a military aircraft entering “spurious” flight data into the system, according to a report.Hundreds of thousands of passengers were affected after more than 2,000 flights were cancelled on Tuesday when the system used by the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) shut down for four hours. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
In pictures: The U.S. commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11
On Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing thousands. Photos capture those marking the 25th anniversary.
cnbc.com
Saudi Arabia shut down East-West crude oil pipeline after multiple attacks by drones from Iraq
Iran-allied Houthi militants in Yemen have escalated strikes on Saudi Arabia this week.
cnbc.com
Oil prices fall Friday, but post sharp weekly gains as tensions in the Middle East rise
The decline snapped multiday winning streaks for both Brent and WTI crude oil futures.
theguardian.com
Man sacked by Grand Theft Auto maker believes employees were put on ‘watch list’
UK employment tribunal examines whether Rockstar Games unlawfully fired 31 staff for trade union activityA worker fired by the makers of Grand Theft Auto has said he believed employees were put on a “watch list” after signing a petition about remote working.Dayne Oram told an employment tribunal in Glasgow examining whether Rockstar Games unlawfully fired 31 employees for trade union activity on Friday that he thought the company started keeping an eye on a group of workers after the petition was sent to leadership in 2023. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Houthis reportedly advance to key Red Sea island, further threatening crucial oil choke point
The advance raises the threat to shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden to global markets.
cnbc.com
Bessent says 'a large bank' will be sanctioned on Monday as part of Iran strategy
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a large bank would be sanctioned next week.
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on controlling AI: humanity cannot outsource its survival | Editorial
Keeping people in charge means little if supercomputers determine the evidence, choices and time on which their decisions dependIf there were a 10% chance that AI could wipe out humanity, no responsible government would leave its development to companies racing to build it. Yet until recently, that seemed to be the case. The warning was all the more ominous because it was made by a researcher at Anthropic, the trillion-dollar AI company behind the Claude chatbot. The dangers of AI-enabled pandemics or attacks on nuclear systems are real. Countries need not agree on democracy or trade policy to accept this.The US and China will hold, reportedly, their first bilateral AI-safety talks before a planned White House summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Despite their tech rivalry, neither Washington nor Beijing can make the most advanced AI safe on their own. A US-China settlement won’t be able to say how AI works everywhere. Countries deploying AI must help write the global rulebook. The odds on an extinction event are shortening. This week Anthropic said that it identified five cases in which attempts were made using its models to support biological weapons development. It banned the accounts. In one case, a platform sent requests rejected by Claude to a rival with weaker safeguards. AI safety, clearly, cannot be that of the least responsible model.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Self-driving cars should be taxed to offset job losses, thinktank urges
Report says widespread autonomous vehicle adoption would put hundreds of thousands of private hire jobs at riskTaxes on self-driving cars should be introduced now in the UK to offset the rise in congestion and threats to jobs they pose, a thinktank has urged.The first robotaxis on London’s streets only started this month, but government projections are that up to 40% of cars sold could have self-driving capability by the middle of the next decade. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Ryanair boss O'Leary defends 'high-fare rapists' airlines remarks
O'Leary has said airline passengers "can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe".
cnbc.com
Record U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreak is over, CDC says
The largest outbreak, linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, sickened more than 12,000 people.
cnbc.com
Iran, Russia condemn Western economic sanctions and urge BRICS bloc to deepen economic ties
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Western sanctions and asked the BRICS bloc to deepen trade ties.
bbc.co.uk
Alstom to build new battery-electric train fleet
The government says the work will support thousands of jobs across the UK.
theguardian.com
Tell us: how did your childhood shape your attitude to money?
We would like to speak to people about how their early years coloured their relationship with cashWe would like to speak to people about how their childhoods shaped their attitude towards money in later life.Do you think the way you manage money has been affected by your upbringing? Did your family talk about money openly, or was it a subject that felt taboo? And how has that shaped your attitude to your personal finances today? Continue reading...
cnbc.com
The oil shock is testing private credit borrowers already burdened by high debt costs
Oil near $100 could further squeeze leveraged private credit borrowers as investors weigh the risk that inflation could push interest rates higher again.
cnbc.com
Trump dismisses AI extinction risks as more than a dozen OpenAI, Anthropic insiders call for a slowdown
Trump said he isn't concerned AI could cause human extinction as researchers at leading AI companies warn about rapid advances and lawmakers propose safeguards.
cnbc.com
Trump says he has no regrets about starting the Iran war as U.S. dials up economic pressure
Speaking to Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham, Trump said that he would have attacked Iran despite the impact on the midterm elections.
bbc.co.uk
US prices remain high as fuel costs squeeze household budgets
Prices in the US rose 3.4% in the 12 months to August, according to the latest official report on inflation.
bbc.co.uk
Can you really juggle a job and study for a degree?
Students in Glasgow say the cost of living is making part-time work increasingly important.
cnbc.com
Inflation persisted in August, potentially locking in a Fed interest rate hike
The all-items consumer price index was expected to rise 0.4% in August, with core, excluding food and energy, showing a 0.2% gain, according to the Dow Jones consensus.
bbc.co.uk
Interest rates could rise again across the world – here's why
As countries grapple with energy costs pushing up inflation, this month will see how central banks respond.
theguardian.com
UK chancellor urged to remove ‘hidden taxes’ from energy bills
Businesses, charities and other groups sign letter calling for levies to be paid by the governmentMore than 120 organisations including big businesses and charities have called for the removal of “hidden taxes” added to energy bills to help reduce costs for consumers and prevent businesses closing.In a letter to the chancellor the signatories – including Energy UK, business trade body the CBI, End Fuel Poverty and Age UK – called for levies amounting to 10% of energy bills that fund policies to be paid for by the government. John Healey is to present his first budget on 28 October. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
I moved my shop 20 miles because I couldn't afford £300 a week on fuel
People in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, tell BBC Scotland News the impact rising petrol prices is having.
theguardian.com
Facing a UK housing dilemma? Send us your questions
From renting and troublesome landlords to buying or selling a home, send us your UK housing questionsAre you dealing with a problem with your landlord or tenancy, wondering about buying or selling a home, or facing another housing issue?We’re planning to launch a new column answering readers’ questions about housing in the UK and helping them understand their options. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Sub-$100 smartphones becoming a rarity as AI memory prices soar
The days of the sub-$100 smartphone may be numbered, including in China.
theguardian.com
Curse of the Nile’s gold: how Sudan is losing its fertile fields and ability to produce food
An artisanal mining boom driven by war and poverty is causing a public health emergency, as chemicals poison soil, water and societyIn Abu Hamad, on the banks of the Nile, verdant orchards, gardens and fields once produced a bounty of dates, citrus fruits, winter grains and cereals for the towns and cities of eastern Sudan, including Khartoum and Port Sudan.Today, the land looks drastically different. Trees have been cut down, agricultural areas cleared, and farms have been replaced by shops and commercial sites. Dotted around the town and its outskirts, more than 700 mounds of grey waste are poisoning the soil, water and air. The mounds are the toxic remnants of artisanal gold mining, a practice that began in about 2008 and has intensified over the past six years. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Why fears of AI self-improvement are causing ‘existential’ concerns at Anthropic and OpenAI
AI researchers are warning that faster AI self-improvement could eventually make advanced systems harder for humans to control.
cnbc.com
Global bond sell-off deepens as $100 oil stokes stagflation fears
The yield on German 10-year bonds, seen as the euro area benchmark, crossed 3.5% on Friday for the first time since April 2011.
cnbc.com
IEA warns global oil refining system ‘stretched to the limit’ as Iran, Ukraine wars tighten market
The energy agency warned shrinking inventories and strained refineries could further tighten markets.
bbc.co.uk
AI boom helps drive surprise UK growth in July
The economy expanded by 0.4%, official figures show, whereas analysts had predicted no growth.
theguardian.com
Trump’s clash with Canada is his latest imperialistic embarrassment | Sidney Blumenthal
The president’s chaotic schemes of aggrandizement, from Venezuela to Iran, have no larger rationaleTrumpism is the lowest stage of imperialism. “We’re not going to invade Greenland. We’re going to buy it,” Donald Trump reportedly told the annual black-tie dinner on 1 February of the private Alfalfa Club, an assemblage of prominent Washington figures, a number of whom he had publicly humiliated, and others he was investigating or suing. “It’s never been my intention to make Greenland the 51st state. I want to make Canada the 51st state. Greenland will be the 52nd state. Venezuela can be 53rd.” The room greeted several of his remarks with dead silence. His cosplay as the Pirate King was not received as a good-humored takeoff from a Gilbert and Sullivan opera. He went on. “So many people in the room I hate,” he said in a display of honesty. “Most of you I like,” he claimed. Then, at his peak euphoria, he flew off to Mar-a-Lago to plan his attack on Iran, which took place 27 days later.Trump’s imperialism of piracy and plunder is less of a system even than that of the earliest imperialism of 17th-century privateers raiding the Spanish Main, the divine right of kings, and monarchs dividing up the spoils as favors to create their lords and earls. His schemes of aggrandizement operating by threat and force are justified by no larger rationale, nothing as exalted as “the white man’s burden”, marauding wherever and however he can to seize resources. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Further European rate hikes 'very much dependent' on energy costs, Bundesbank chief tells CNBC
Joachim Nagel told CNBC that a potential move in rates into restrictive territory was "very much dependent on how the energy prices evolve."
theguardian.com
‘Fresh from the roof’: the supermarket growing salad a few metres above the tills
Customers seeking greens at one Berlin outlet are dealing with some very local supply chains indeedWalking into the Felix Thomas REWE supermarket in Lankwitz, Berlin, customers are immediately presented with a choice of greens: romaine, rocket, iceberg. But last month, a new option joined the selection: Lankwitz loose-leaf lettuce. A combination of head lettuce, romaine lettuce, Lollo Rosso, and dark green easy leaf lettuce, its yellow packaging makes it stand out in a row of green. But it’s not just the flashy packaging that makes it distinct. Unlike its neighbouring lettuces, which come from regional farms or all the way from Italy, these greens were grown just a few metres away – or rather, a few metres up. “Frisch Vom REWE Dach” or “Fresh from the REWE roof”, the bags read.Rooftop farms are nothing new: in cities such as Paris, Hong Kong, Copenhagen and New York, similar farms supply food to adjacent food retailers or even restaurants. This model has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (and its associated costs), minimise the urban heat effect, make use of dead space and perhaps even improve the relationship between buyers and their food. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘Just worry upon worry’: Europe faces a bleak winter as supply shock pushes factories to the brink
From Shropshire to Hamburg, depleting reserves and spiralling costs are spawning a continent-wide energy crisisBridgnorth Aluminium has faced down Brexit, Covid and repeated energy shocks in recent years. But this winter is bringing extra “stress and pressure”, says its head of sales, Adrian Musgrave.Musgrave’s company makes rolled aluminium, used in packaging, construction and the manufacture of items such as cars and batteries. Like many stretched industrial businesses across Europe, Bridgnorth Aluminium faces a looming threat of soaring energy bills, which Musgrave describes as “just worry upon worry”. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Pressure grows on Burnham to commit to increasing statutory paternity leave
Exclusive: Calls from Labour grow as 105 MPs write to PM urging ‘obvious’ step to alleviate cost of living crisisAndy Burnham is coming under increasing pressure from his own MPs to commit to improving paternity leave in the UK in the next budget, with more than a quarter of Labour MPs writing to the prime minister to urge him to take action.Ahead of the chancellor’s first budget next month, 105 MPs have written to Burnham calling on him to increase statutory paternity leave to help alleviate the cost of living crisis and arguing that lowest-paid fathers are the hardest hit by meagre paternity leave provision. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Jamie Dimon joins bankers lobbying the UK ahead of its critical budget — here’s why they’re worried
Bankers are pressuring the British government ahead of its Autumn Budget, in which the newly minted leadership will lay out its fiscal plans for Britain.
cnbc.com
China's wealthy brace for a widening tax net as Beijing closes in
Beijing's recent push to tax offshore wealth may be only the opening phase of a broader campaign that could eventually reach overseas properties, inheritances.
theguardian.com
The ‘great grid upgrade’ is off track – ministers should spell out the risks for bills | Nils Pratley
National Audit Office calls for greater transparency on £70bn programme that is running over budget and behind scheduleSpeed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdogIt’s an open secret in the energy industry that “the great grid upgrade” – the £70bn programme to rewire the nation’s electricity transmission network to enable clean power by 2030 – is running over budget and behind schedule, and may end up costing consumers and businesses more in their bills than advertised.How far behind? How much more? It is impossible to get straight answers from the bodies overseeing the massive spending programme, which may continue at an even greater scale into the 2030s. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnz), its in-house body, the National Energy System Operator (Neso), and Ofgem, the supposedly independent regulator, publish acres of information on narrow matters, but none provides a clear big-picture assessment: how is the grid upgrade really going? Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Modi and Xi are set to meet at BRICS with trade and border issues in spotlight
A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be the clearest test yet of the tentative post-2020 reset between Asia’s two largest economies.
cnbc.com
Chinese AI labs secretly used millions of Claude exchanges to train their models, Anthropic says
Anthropic said it detected unauthorized efforts by China-based AI labs including Alibaba and Moonshot AI to use its Claude models to help improve their own AI systems.
bbc.co.uk
Can Europe recharge its battery industry?
Europe has some promising battery tech, but can it make up ground lost to Chinese battery giants?
bbc.co.uk
I asked my husband to pay into my pension when we had a child - here's why
Molly and Taylor Haylett explain the changes to how they managed their finances when they started a family.
bbc.co.uk
Watch: Three times Trump has promised money to Americans
The BBC's Samira Hussain looks at the president's past claims after he announced he would pay American adults $5,000 if Republicans win in the midterm elections.
bbc.co.uk
Labour mayors in England vow to cap tourist tax at 5%
Reform UK and the Conservatives have criticised plans for the new levy on visitors' overnight stays.
bbc.co.uk
Oil, gas and borrowing costs surge as fears over Middle East escalate
The price of oil jumps to $105 a barrel amid signs the Iran war will not be resolved quickly.
theguardian.com
The hospitality industry fears a tourist tax will deter visitors – the evidence says otherwise
Studies from hotspots across Europe that have introduced levies suggest they have no impact on visitor numbersIf you wandered down Las Ramblas or lazed on a beach in the Balearics this summer, you probably paid a tourist tax for the privilege. In fact, if you enjoyed any of Europe’s beauty spots in recent years, it is likely that an overnight levy was added to your bill.Britons have become used to paying these fees abroad but ministers have shied away from introducing them in the UK. The furious response from UK hospitality bosses helps to explain why. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The Russia-tied French billionaires opening UK's first historical theme park – explainer
French company Puy du Fou is planning a £600m history-themed park in Oxfordshire. A Guardian investigation has found the company continued working with associates of Konstantin Malofeyev, a pro-Kremlin oligarch under sanctions, on plans for a theme park in Russian-occupied Crimea for longer than it had previously disclosed, and later explored projects in Iran and China.Business reporter Rob Davies explains his findings, including documents that raise questions about whether Puy du Fou’s activities tested the limits of EU sanctions imposed after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.He also examines the far-right politics associated with Puy du Fou’s founder, Philippe de Villiers, and asks whether the company is a suitable choice to tell Britain’s national storyKremlin connections: the Russia links to a £600m UK theme park Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Why are we giving a £24bn-a-year subsidy to profitable commercial banks? | Letter
Gerald Holtham suggests that it time to cut the 3.75% that the Bank of England pays out on the lenders’ reservesThere are increasing calls for a windfall tax on banks (Taxing the banks: what Europe’s windfall levies brought in as Burnham eyes his next move, 2 September). Such a tax is unnecessary; it would be enough simply to stop paying commercial banks a huge existing subsidy. The Bank of England holds the reserve deposits of the commercial banks and pays its policy interest rate on the entirety of those reserves. Paying 3.75% on about £640bn means handing over £24bn a year of public money to profitable commercial concerns. The Bank does so only to control the banks’ lending rates by establishing a floor.Yet that could be done more economically by paying interest on a marginal slice of the reserves. The Bank could announce a tranche for each bank and declare that any reduction in reserves from that level is counted as coming firstly from the interest-bearing tranche. That keeps the same marginal opportunity cost to the banks and ensures interest-rate policy is effective. If the tranche were 20%, there would be a gross saving of more than £19bn a year. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
When a Dragon gives you a helping hand
When a Dragon gives you a helping hand
bbc.co.uk
Primark introduces home delivery
Primark has said it plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain, four years after it made its first foray into e-commerce.
theguardian.com
English winemakers expect ‘vintage year’ after record-breaking summer heat
Hot weather means sweeter grapes, but outlook gloomier for beermakers, as drought diminishes barley harvestEnglish sparkling winemakers expect their earliest grape harvest and a “vintage year” after a scorching summer quickly ripened grapes.However, beer sellers have warned of a potential shortage after record-breaking temperatures and a drought hitting much of England has caused poor yields of barley. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Much of Europe already levies a tourist tax – a nice little earner for Italian hotspots
While England makes its first foray into unfamiliar territory, it’s proved a boon for Italy’s cash-strapped municipalities A nightly tourist tax may be unfamiliar territory in the UK, but countries in continental Europe have been cashing in on these kinds of levies for decades.Tourists usually need to pay the tax on the day they check out of a hotel or holiday let, and are often surprised by an extra fee on top of their accommodation costs. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Air traffic chaos and compensation: 'Shutdown cost us more than £1,000'
Flight disruption has ruined holidays and left passengers sleeping on airport floors - so what are their rights?
bbc.co.uk
Primark finally set to launch home deliveries
The retailer launches the service four years after making its first foray into internet shopping.
bbc.co.uk
Apple's new boss starts with big gamble on £1,999 first folding iPhone
Apple showed off at an event the first major design change to the iPhone in almost 20 years.
cnbc.com
UBS CEO flags investor complacency as geopolitical and economic risks mount
The UBS top boss cautioned that investors face an increasingly complicated environment given multiple headwinds.
bbc.co.uk
Tax banks to cut energy bills, unions tell Burnham
The TUC says a bank surcharge should be reversed - and estimates it would raise £9bn over four years.
bbc.co.uk
Why some experts increasingly fear AI will take over
AI agents went on an uncontrolled hacking spree, leaving some in the industry worried
bbc.co.uk
The one thing you need to do to succeed - according to top bosses
What makes someone stand out in a crowded workplace? Six business leaders tell us what they look for.
bbc.co.uk
Air traffic failure was avoidable, says transport secretary
Heidi Alexander orders an investigation into the glitch that caused more than 2,000 flight cancellations.
theguardian.com
How the deadly Amazon cargo plane crash unfolded | Deconstructed
An Amazon cargo plane crashed at Miami international airport in Florida after overshooting the runway, striking vehicles and resulting in at least five deaths and five injuries.Officials said evidence suggested the pilots considered aborting the landing before the crash.Miami airport is not equipped with 'arresting beds', systems of lightweight, crushable material that the federal aviation authority says have been installed at more than 120 airports nationwide at the end of runways to help safely stop planes that overshootAt least five dead after Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Anthropic researcher believes more than 10% chance AI 'could kill all humans'
It is the latest in a series of increasing warnings about the safety threat posed by artificial intelligence.
bbc.co.uk
Sapporo to move some beer production from Canada to US after tariffs
The Japanese brewer plans to shift non-alcoholic beer brewing to the US from Canada as tariffs bite
bbc.co.uk
More flight cancellations as fallout from air traffic control glitch continues
Departures from a number of airports are affected by a technical problem affecting air traffic control provider Nats.
bbc.co.uk
Petrol prices rise by 5p over a week as Iran war sends oil higher
A litre of unleaded now costs 167.17p which is the biggest weekly increase since April, data shows.
bbc.co.uk
Learner drivers still forced to wait months for tests
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency had been given a target to reduce average wait times to seven weeks.
bbc.co.uk
US to ban imports of some Canadian alcohol, dairy goods and motorbikes
It is the latest strike in a long trade war, and comes after Canadian counter-tariffs on US goods come into force.
bbc.co.uk
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Flights are cancelled owing to air traffic control problems, so what are your rights if you're affected?
bbc.co.uk
Singaporean man pleads guilty in US to massive crypto heist
Malone Lam and his associates used the proceeds of their crimes to fund a luxurious lifestyle, US authorities said.
bbc.co.uk
Cowboy builder tore my home apart and disappeared off the face of the Earth with £14k
Victims of cowboy builders describe how they were exploited with one couple left "scarred for life".
cnbc.com
The world's highest paid leader is set for a 64% pay rise. Here's how others compare
Wong announced ministerial salaries will be adjusted upwards after 15 years, with his annual pay package rising to 3.6 million Singapore dollars
bbc.co.uk
Should promotion depend on how workers use AI?
More companies are tying career progression to AI use: is that fair?
bbc.co.uk
I'm 27 and I've already written my will - here's why
For many young people making a will may not seem necessary, but here's why you shouldn't put it off.
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI says it cracked 90-year-old maths problem in 88 hours
OpenAI's claim that it solved parts of Navier-Stokes equations has quickly stirred controversy.
theguardian.com
Are rich people really worse behaved? Here’s the science – video
Who’s more likely to steal sweets from a child? According to science, it’s the rich. A study seemingly confirming our suspicions about the moral behaviour of the wealthy was one of the winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel prizes, which honour research that makes you laugh and then think. Science editor Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what the researchers think could be behind the phenomenon, and they explore some of the other awards, including one for a surprising quality we look for in our friends and another for a biomechanical definition of kissing Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Borrowers expecting mortgage rates to drop have hopes dashed
Major lenders have raised rates on new deals in recent days, leaving many borrowers needing to make a decision.
theguardian.com
UK foreign secretary announces sanctions on trade with Israeli West Bank settlements – video
In the strongest condemnation ever issued by a UK government, Ed Miliband said it would take the official position that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank was unlawful in its entirety. The sanctions imposed include bans on goods from illegal settlements and adverts for land on the settlements will also be prohibited. Miliband said the measures would take up to nine months to come into effectUK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backingUK Politics live - latest updates Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work
The Balkan nation is aiming to become a new centre for medical tourism.
bbc.co.uk
Why a famous Montreal sandwich shop has been forced to swap its soda
Schwartz’s, one of Montreal’s most famous delis, has changed suppliers for its black cherry soda.
bbc.co.uk
Aviation faces hotter, stormier skies – and passengers might have to accept more disruption
Are people going to have to increasingly accept more delays and diversions as the effects of climate change intensify?
bbc.co.uk
How much can Canada fight back in its trade war with the US?
The US may be the bigger trading partner, but Canada shouldn't be counted out quite yet in the escalating trade fight.
bbc.co.uk
Prosecco, cakes and beauty products - how to get birthday freebies and why there's a catch
Cake, coffee, make-up and burgers are just some of the free things you can get on your birthday.
bbc.co.uk
From 'dog fruit' to darling: India's avocado boom
Demand for avocados is booming in India and local growers hope to grab more of the market.
bbc.co.uk
Why wait? Business grads buying firms to install themselves as CEO
Impatient to be the boss of an established company they are borrowing money to fund their purchases.
bbc.co.uk
'My parents won't lend me £10k but helped my brother': When families play financial favourites
So-called financial favouritism can cause jealousy and resentment long into adulthood. Here is how experts say you can avoid it
bbc.co.uk
Overcooked? Why robotic pizza makers are failing
A string of failures has sapped confidence that robots will take over production at pizza restaurants.
bbc.co.uk
How Dolly Parton's business savvy helped her succeed far beyond the charts
While country music and films brought her fame, her entrepreneurial zeal brought her fortune.
bbc.co.uk
Firms scramble for battery power in Spain and Portugal
After last year's massive power failure Spanish and Portuguese firms are buying battery back ups.
bbc.co.uk
Drought leaves 'barely any apples' to make cider
Some orchards are harvesting just a 10th of their usual crop, and facing an uncertain future.
bbc.co.uk
'What you see is what you pay' - why some US restaurants are banning tips
Tips are central to US dining culture but some eateries think that they are unfair.
bbc.co.uk
How landscape gardening is being electrified
The switch to quieter electric equipment is not going as fast as some would like.
bbc.co.uk
Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters
Why is it taking so long for the government to regulate them, and what are the consequences of delay?
bbc.co.uk
Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension
Many younger people do not believe the state pension will exist when they are older
bbc.co.uk
The furious dispute over what caused Air India flight 171 to crash
The final conclusions of the investigation have yet to be published, although more could become apparent in the coming days.
bbc.co.uk
How the High Street became a window on our political instability
High Streets have declined in recent years. What does this tell us about the UK?
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